Lightning damages 400-year-old masjid near Golconda

Lightning strikes 400-yr-old Qutb Shahi Masjid in Hyderabad, causing destruction. The Masjid has ornate limestone stucco work, reached by narrow stairs.

Lightning struck the right minaret of the 400-year-old Qutb Shahi Masjid at Langar Houz near Golconda Fort during heavy rains on Monday evening.

“There was a huge explosive sound and the finial of the minaret fell down just before the Maghrib prayers,” said Farooq Ansari, showing a two-foot long shattered conical finial. “Luckily there was nobody there and nobody was harmed. But all our electronic equipment got destroyed due to the lightning,” said Mr. Ansari who heads the Masjid Committee.

The masjid is one of the oldest in the city with ornate limestone stucco work. It is on the route taken by the soldiers of Aurangzeb during the final conquest of the Golconda Fort in 1687, when a traitor opened a small window near the Fateh Darwaza to let in the Mughal soldiers. The older portion is fronted by a newer construction built in 1986 to allow more people to pray. But the original qibla wall and the arches and the ceiling show wear and tear.

The upper floor of the masjid is reached by a narrow flight of stairs and it shows the destruction wrought by the lightning. “There was a thunderous sound at 7 p.m. and we rushed up to see all the debris on the floor. Luckily, the damage is external,” said Shahabuddin, who volunteers at the masjid. The minaret shows a deep crack on two sides that runs through it from the top to the middle. The upper storey has jali work that was the hallmark of Qutb Shahi masjids.

“The masjid was promised a ₹25 lakh restoration effort four years ago. A contractor came and set up the scaffolding. We gave housing to their staff but after a week they disappeared. They did not bother about the scaffolding,” said Mr. Ansari. On Monday night, local MLA Kausar Mohiuddin inspected the damage and promised to secure help from the government in restoring it. “I hope at least now something is done about the restoration of the Masjid,” Mr. Ansari added.